A Basic Lexicon for Golf Beginners – Part 1

On the golf course

This article provides the most important, basic terms used in golf. The list is not complete but is meant to be an introduction for beginners.

The tee – the area from which to start (tee off) a hole. The term is also used for that small piece of wood or plastic, on which one puts the ball at the tee off.

The green – the pristinely-mowed lawn on which the actual hole is located

The fairway – the mid-length cut area between tee, tee and green or the green

The rough – located to the left and right of the fairway. These areas appear hardly maintained. They visually border the fairway, but also hinder the next shot because the ball is often hidden in the tall grass

The bunker – a distinct area filled with sand. It is forbidden to touch the sand with the club. Secondly, bunkers are often seamed with high edges, making it difficult to recover the ball

The pin position – near the hole on the green. The flag is visible from afar. On most greens, there are easier and more difficult pin positions

The drive – the first shot. You can only “drive” from the tee. Professionals are able to surpass 300-yard drives

The pitch – a short and high shot with a pitching wedge to overcome a distance of 30 to 40 yards on the green

The chip – a short, relatively shallow shot to the green. There is no special golf club for this

The putt – the game on the green. This is done with a putter. The ball rolls closer or – best case- into the hole

Out of bounds – the area on the course marked by white posts. If a golfer hits his ball illegally in this area, it will result in penalty strokes. It should therefore be avoided to go “out of bounds”.